Welcome to our site whether as a customer and as a fellow/bead artist.

This website includes everything from showcasing my own work, my blogwhich contains information and experiences I've had along the way to my shop which is currently housed at ETSY.com. And there's a place just for STUFF - which can be web links to shops and distributors I favorite or web video links that give great tutorials.

THE ARTISTMy name is Doreen Balimidi and I am the artist behind DORAJI DESIGN. (pronounced DORA-GEE) and owner of THE BEAD STOP.

I've been a hobbyist since I was able to use my fingers to create. I was fortunate to learn embroidery, needlepoint, sewing, knitting and crochet before I hit my teens so transitioning into beadwork was a snap. Almost. But that is where the classes came in. I have run up my car's odometer just for classes! But with online classes now readily available, beading has become more than just a trend for me!

I have been beading well over 10 years now. My interest in bead design and jewelry making started taking shape after I picked up a bead kit when I stumbled into a small bead shop during a Vermont vacation. I never dreamed that there were shops that housed only beads! The kit I purchased was a simple fringed earring design which was quick to complete. I made several pairs (after buying more beads) which made purchasing a pattern kit a worthwhile investment. And not knowing there was more to beading, I moved on to other trending crafts such as hook rug making. It wasn't until several years later when I was looking for something new to do after a failed attempts at scrap booking and watercolor painting. I just moved to a new town after marrying my best friend and was looking for good craft stores in the area. I was thrilled to find a bead shop in my town. The warnings of DANGER, DANGER I never heard. I took one stringing class and I've never looked back. You can't just take one class! So there were more. And in different cities, even states. I made many friends in fellow beaders and artists who teach. I now have many techniques under my belt and still take classes to learn a new technique from a master artist, or if only just to sit in a room full of beaders like me!

I have an associate's degree in communications, specifically in film and video. I believe in an open door policy so I love hearing from future and fellow artists as well as my customers. You can find our company on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Gloogle+ and Instagram.

Use the contact button above to email me with your questions or if you want to pass along tips or techniques which can be shared in a future blog posting. When a design that I craft that is not my own, I give credit to the designer, whether it is a variation or orignal design but different color way.